September 18th, 2013 Comments Off on On the Magic of Harvest Moon . . .

Moonrise and Maiden Grass in the September Garden

Last night I caught moonrise —growing full and bright in sunset’s afterglow— in the garden as I scrambled to cover heirloom tomatoes and ripening bell peppers before dusk. With clear skies and a threat of frost in the evening air, it seems that autumn is arriving prematurely this year.

The Harvest Moon, more typically associated with autumn, is also early; making a late-summer appearance this year. Full at 7:12 am on September 19th, the moon will appear full as she rises tonight, September 18, at 6:13 pm ET and tomorrow night, September 19, at 6:45 pm. The Harvest Moon is so-named for its historic, agricultural importance; allowing additional light to farmers harvesting crops late into the evening. This much-anticipated celestial event is the closest full moon to the September 22, autumnal equinox (fall begins this year at 20:44 UTC, read more at EarthSky.org, here).

Although not-quite-full, the Harvest Moon was stunning last night as it rose beyond the Maiden Grass (Miscanthus sinensis purpurascens) in my garden. So spread out your blanket and mull some cider, it’s certain to be a glorious show over the next few nights!

Photography & Text ⓒ Michaela Medina Harlow/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!

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A Strawberry Super Moon and a June garden in full bloom… Could there be a more lovely way to celebrate the first weekend of summer? The Strawberry Moon is full on Sunday, June 23rd, at 7:33 am ET, and the full moon is at perigee this month (when the moon is at its closest point to earth). The moon will appear as an extra-large, or ‘Super Moon’ when it rises at 8:38 pm ET. (check out earthsky.org, here, to learn more about June’s ‘Super Moon’).

Super-sized or regular, there’s nothing quite like strolling through a garden on a June evening with a strawberry-mint mojito, admiring La Luna . So remember to look up and enjoy our lovely, mysterious, celestial neighbor in the night sky.

Photography & Text ⓒ Michaela Medina Harlow/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!

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April 25th, 2013 Comments Off on Pretty in Pink: April’s Full Moon . . .

April’s Pink Moon is Named for the Color of Wild Ground Phlox, Which Blooms in Early Spring

Be sure to keep watch for the Pink Moon rising tonight, April 25th, at 7:52pm ET. And if you’re up with the songbirds, as I am, you can also catch our lovely celestial neighbor as she sets, at 5:32am ET, tomorrow morning, April 26th.

Photography & Text ⓒ Michaela Medina Harlow/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!

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Be sure to look for the full, Sap Moon (aka the Worm Moon), when it rises tonight at 7:50pm ET. The moon was full at exactly 5:27am ET this morning, as it began to set on the western horizon here in Vermont. With ghostly paper birch reflecting her glow, the show sure was beautiful last night on my hilltop. Find more astronomical news, including full moon facts and lore, at The Farmer’s Almanac here.

Photography and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!

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In the hour just before dawn this morning, I pulled on my winter boots and trudged out into the drifting snow to greet the full, Cold Moon as it set on the western horizon. Did you miss it? Well you’ll have another chance this evening. Moonrise tonight is at 4:57pm ET and moonset is at 7:10am ET. If you hurry, you may still have time to catch her glowing beauty as she rises in the pink twilight …

Photography and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!

Do you enjoy The Gardener’s Eden? You can help support this site by shopping through affiliate links. A small percentage of each sale will be paid to this site, helping to cover web hosting and maintenance costs. Thank you so much for your support!

Photography and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All images, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without asking first. Thank you!

Do you enjoy The Gardener’s Eden? You can help support this site by shopping through affiliate links. A small percentage of each sale will be paid to this site, helping to cover web hosting and maintenance costs. Thank you so much for your support!

The Pink Moon (Shown Here, Rising on April 4th) is Full this Friday, April 6th, at 3:19pm ET

Longtime followers of The Gardener’s Eden will recall that this starry-eyed gardener has a particular fondness for April’s Pink Moon. Previous posts (such as this one, here ) have also included links to Nick Drake’s beautiful song by the same name, and various pink-hued flowers; including the moon’s namesake, phlox.

Last night as I was driving home from a late-day meeting with a design client, I happened to notice our nearly-full, celestial neighbor, flirting above the horizon in a pouf of pinkish clouds; perfection between budding trees. And as I rounded the bend between historic farms, there she was again; rising beauty, high above the wet, April fields…

The Pink Moon will be full this Friday —coinciding nicely with the start of Passover and Good Friday— at 3:19pm, and will rise at 7:38pm ET. Of course, at 98% full tonight, the Pink Moon will be a pleasure to watch a bit earlier this evening (rising at 6:20pm ET on 4/5/12). And you can bet I will be raising a glass to the first full moon of this sweet new season (even if it is still just a wee bit nippy outside).

Photographs and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina for The Gardener’s Eden. All photos, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions) are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Thank you!

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Up early this frosty morning —pulling on winter woolens and running outside to enjoy new-fallen snow— and as I sipped my morning coffee, I savored a breakfast of crescent moon and a sky spread with apricot-blueberry jam.

Photographs and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All photos, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions) are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Thank you!

Do you enjoy The Gardener’s Eden? You can help support this site by shopping through affiliate links. A small percentage of each sale will be paid to this site, helping to cover web hosting and maintenance costs. Thank you so much for your support!

Photographs and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All photos, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions) are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Thank you!

Do you enjoy The Gardener’s Eden? You can help support this site by shopping through affiliate links. A small percentage of each sale will be paid to this site, helping to cover web hosting and maintenance costs. Thank you so much for your support!

As we approach the shortest day of the year, I find that I’m rising before the sun; hitting the floor mat to stretch and practice meditation before beginning the day with a run or walk through the forest. Starting my morning in the cold, 5:30 am darkness feels a bit brutal at times, but the routine does have its upsides; including a front row seat to the breathtaking beauty of dawn.

Photographs and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All photos, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions) are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Thank you!

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With pink sunsets, towering cumulus and electrical storms alternating with powder blue horizons and nights filled with stars, July has been an extraordinary month for sky watching. And moon-gazing, my favorite evening pastime, has been particularly lovely this month. I snapped the photo above —of our nearly full, celestial neighbor— the other night from my terrace. And the photo below —Half Moon in Lavender Mist— was captured in the clearing, after a passing storm. For those of us on the east coast, July’s Thunder Moon (sometimes called the Buck Moon) reached it’s fullest in the wee hours of the morning, and will rise tonight at 8:36 pm ET … Perfect timing for a late, alfresco dinner on the deck, terrace or balcony. Enjoy!

For more interesting moon facts and lore, visit the Old Farmer’s Almanac page on July’s Full Buck Moon. And for sky watching enthusiasts with iPhones, you really must check out the Star Chart app, with which I am completely smitten! Aim your phone anywhere in the sky and view the stars and constellations, as well as a treasure trove of information about the night sky … So much fun!

Half Moon in Lavender Mist

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Photographs and Text ⓒ Michaela Medina/The Gardener’s Eden. All photographs, articles and content on this site, (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Thank you!

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Watching the moon rise through bare tree limbs last night, I couldn’t help but notice changes taking place in the forest all around me. By night, swollen maple buds stand out in soft silhouette against the sky’s moonlit glow. And by day, hillsides filled with reddish twigs color the landscape in a hazy new wash of warm color.

Always a skywatcher, I am particularly keyed in to the “super moon” at perigee this month. March’s full moon is known by various Native American and Old English names, but because I live in Vermont —and March is sugaring season— I prefer to call this the Sap Moon. Also commonly known as the Worm Moon, Crow Moon or Lenten Moon, our near-by celestial neighbor will appear full tomorrow, March 19th at 2:10 pm ET (6:10 pm UTC). Because the moon is at perigee, it will appear 14% larger and 30% brighter than it usually does. The timing of a perigee moon and a full moon is unusual; taking place once every couple of decades. For more information on this amazing lunar event, check out this article on the NASA Science site and this interesting article on Space.com.

Article and photographs are copyright Michaela at The Gardener’s Eden, all rights reserved. All content on this site, (with noted exceptions), is the property of The Gardener’s Eden and may not be used, reproduced or reposted elsewhere without written consent.

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